National Wear Red Day falls on the first Friday in February and is an annual campaign meant to raise awareness about heart disease in women. 

The national campaign urges women to learn their risk for heart disease and to take steps to lower their risk. Although heart disease is said to be about 80% preventable, it causes one out of every three deaths in women each year.

You can help spread the word by dressing in red and also encouraging women to learn their risks. According to The American Heart Association, smoking, sedentary lifestyles, a family history of the illness, diabetes, stress, inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s, along with complications during pregnancy and menopause can increase a woman’s chances of being diagnosed with heart disease.

Let’s go! It's #WearRedDay! So crank up the tunes, get on your feet and rock your red for women’s heart health. pic.twitter.com/ezzDSMb1OL

— GoRedforWomen (@GoRedForWomen) February 4, 2022

As the CDC notes, only around half of women recognize that heart disease is the number one killer for women. It is the leading cause of death in women in the United States, and killed 299, 578 women in 2017 alone, which equates to about 1 in every 5 female deaths the CDC said.

Talk to your doctor if you're experiencing symptoms the CDC says are associated with heart disease like angina, pain the the neck, jaw, or throat or pain in the upper abdomen or back.

For more information on National Wear Red Day visit www.goredforwomen.org

This story was originally published by Alex Livingston of Newsy.